Crude plant oil, containing phosphatide, cannot be used directly as a biofuel feedstock. More specifically, phosphatide interferes with transesterification, a reaction that a biofuel feedstock is subjected to. Therefore, crude plant oil needs to be refined in a process called oil degumming to remove phosphatide and other undesired substances.
Conventional degumming processes involve emulsification, which poses a number of problems. For example, a high shear mixer, an expensive instrument, is often required to effect emusification. Also, when emulsification is employed, it is often difficult to control degumming quality.
It is therefore desirable to develop a new degumming method that is free of emulsification.